Recording device



Patented June 22, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,322,802 aaooanme navrcn Bennett F. Terry, Stamford, Conn. Application November 18, 1941, Serial No. 419,610

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in medium in positions thereon in accordance with the value representedby the keys depressed.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision in a recording device of a support for a light-sensitive medium, means defining a recording field on said medium, key-controlled means for advancing said medium with respect to said field, a second field spaced apart from said first field and including a plurality of apertures, a lens between said fields adapted to project said second field upon said first field, and key-controlled means for controllin the projection of light from the apertures in said second field on said medium.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a recording device, of a field having a plurality of normally closed apertures formed therein, key-controlledmeans for uncovering said apertures, and means to project light from said uncovered apertures to a light sensitive medium.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a device for recording data; and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the keyboard 01' the same.

Referring first to Figure l, a normally lighttight casing 56 has fixed therein a horizontal partition 51 provided with a plurality of apertures 58 arranged in a pattern corresponding to that of the tabulating form.

A suitable lens system 59 is mounted above a window 60 in the bottom SI of casing 56. The lens 59 is adapted to focus a reduced image of the apertures 58 on the film 20 which is disposed on reels 2 and 63 in a suitable magazine 64, the

magazine being removably secured to the bottom I A drive sprocket 65 is provided with an exterior ratchet 66 operable by a pawl 61 on a lever 68 rotatably mounted on the sprocket shaft 69. A spring Ill normally holds the lever 68 upward.

A vertical plunger II extending through the bottom-Ii and top I2 of the casing 56 and provided with a key 13, overlies the lever 68 and is normally held upwardly on interior spring It. When the key 13 is depressed, the plunger ll swings the lever 68 downward against a stop 15, thus rotating the ratchet 68 and sprocket through a predetermined angle and advancing the film 20 to the left a corresponding amount.

A tubular illuminating means 16 disposed above the partition 51, is so formed as to overlie all the apertures 68, and is provided with a transformer ll mounted in a rear chamber Iii of the casing I6. Primary conductors 19 and of the transformer ll lead through a normally open push-button switch Ii to an exterior supply cord 82 adapted to be connected to any suitable source of current.

Individual shutters 83 are pivotally mounted on rods 03 so as to normally cover the apertures 58 and block the passage of light therethrough. Vertical rods 85, pivoted to levers 86 on the shutters 83, extend upwardly through'aligned slots 81, 88 and 89 respectively formed in a supporting plate 90, a release plate 9|, and the top or keyboard 12. The upper ends of the rods are provided with keys 92.

Individual tension springs 93, secured to the rods '5 and to the bottom 01' the support plate 90, urgethe rods 85 forward and upwardly and normally holding the shutters 83 in positions closing said apertures. An angular tooth 94 is provided on each of the rods 85.

When a key, for example key 92", is depressed, the downward movement of the rod 85 swings the shutter 83 clear of and uncovers the aperture 58' as shown in Figure 1, the other shutters to the rear of 83' having been omitted in the drawing to clarify the showing.

As the tooth 94 falls below the bottom of the keyboard 12, the torward pull of the tension spring 93 swings the rod 85 forward, causing the tooth 94' to move under the forward edge of the slot 89' and hold the shutter locked open when the operator's finger is withdrawn from the key 92. In other words, upon the depression of any key, the key is locked down and the shutter controlled thereby is locked in its open position.

Obviously, any desired symbols or position values may be assigned to the keys 92, and their number, arrangement and the corresponding pattern of apertures may be varied in any desired manner, depending on the system of recordings used with a particular type of tabulating machine; it will be understood that the form shown is merely for purposes of illustration.

The release plate Si is slidably mounted on the support plate 90 and has two extensions 85 protrading through the front of the casing 50. A release bar 96 is secured to the extensions Q5, and compression springs 91 normally hold the release plate in forward position as shown. When-the bar 90 is pushed inwardly, the movement of release plate 9i swings the rods l9 rearwardly so that the teeth 04 of all depressed rods are disengaged from the front edges of the keyboard slots 89, allowing the rods to be forced upwardly by their springs to close the shutters associated therewith.

In the preferred method of making a record, the operator first depresses the various keys .2 corresponding to the desired pattern, thus locking open the corresponding shutters 83. As soon as the set-up is complete, the switch Ii is closed, energizing the transformer 11 and the tube 16, the latter illuminating only the open apertures. A reduced image of the pattern formed by the illuminated apertures is projected by the lens 59 onto the film 20.

As soon as the switch II is released, extinguishing the tube It, the release button 95 is pushed to cause the shutters B3 to close, and the plunger II is depressed to feed the film and condition the device for making the next record.

Should an error in set-up be detected prior to photographing the pattern, all shutters may be closed by means of the release bar 80 and the desired data reset in corrected form, or if desired, any individual erroneously set key may be released by pushing it rearwardly to disengage its tooth 94 from the edge of its slot 89.

The foregoing procedure of completing the set up before exposure is obviously advantageous in avoiding loss of time in making records and waste of film through errors. It will be noted, however, that if for any reason it is desired to impress symbols individually, this can be done by operating the switch 8| and release bar 98 after each single depression of a key.

When a series of record patterns has been completed on the film 20 the latter may be developed, a positive made from it, and treated to condition the record for use with a sensing means, such as that shown in co-pending application Serial No. 419,609, filed Nov. 18, 1941.

Records made by the herein described recording device may be very small in area, the diminution being limited only by the minimum size to which the parts of the sensing means may practically be reduced, which size, as previously pointed out, may be brought within very low compass by accurate manufacture. Obviously a large amount of data may be recorded in minimum space, and due to the small movement and low inertia of the sensing members, records can be sensed at much higher speed than is possible with other types of records such as punched cards and the like.

The negative thus made in my recording device may be developed and fixed in the usual manner in order to utilize it for making positives therefrom, retaining the negative as a "master.

Although I have herein shown and described a key-controlled recording device for photographically making records, and have described the method of finishing the records, it must be understood that the recording device herein shown and described is merely given by way of example as it is obvious that many changes can be made in the arrangement shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

In a data recording device, in combination, means to support a light-sensitive record medium, a plurality of data keys associated with said supporting means, shutter means directly connected to and adapted to be opened by said keys, illuminated means normally isolated from and adapted to project a plurality of light beams onto said medium in predetermined relationship to form data exposures thereon, and resetting means for said keys also adapted to close all opened shutters.

2. In a data recording device, in combination, a casing, a partition in said casing having a plurality of apertures therein, shutters normally closing said apertures, a plurality of data keys directly linked to said shutters and operable to individually open the same and thereby selectively uncover said apertures, means to illuminate said uncovered apertures, means on said casing to support a light sensitive record film, means to project images of said illuminated apertures on said film, and means to reset operated keys and to close the open shutters linked thereto.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2 wherein means is provided to latch said shutters in open position whereby a data setup may be made prior to actuation of said illuminating means, wherein said illuminating means comprises a light source common to all said apertures, and wherein said means to reset includes means to release said latching means.

4. In a data recording device, in combination, a photo-sensitive record medium and means to support the same and exclude external l ght therefrom, a normally dark field spaced apart from said medium, means for projecting the image of said field upon said medium, a source of light on the side of said field opposite to the side facing said medium, a plurality of keys, a plurality of shuttered apertures in said field, the shutters for said apertures being directly linked to and controlled by said keys for forming patterns of illumination in said field from said source, whereby said patterns may be projected upon said medium, locking means associated with said keys and adapted to individually lock depressed keys and thereby to hold open the shutters linked with the depressed keys, and means for disabling said locking means and permitting the depressed keys to return to their normal positions to thereby close the shutters associated therewith.

5. In a data recording device, in combination, a photo-sensitive record medium, a normally dark field spaced apart from said medium, optical means for projecting the image of said field upon said medium, a source of light, and key-controlled means for forming and holding in said field patterns of light from said source positioned in accordance with the value of the key operated, whereby said optical means may transfer images of said patterns to said medium, and resetting means for said forming and holding means.

6. In a data recording device, in combination, a support, a plurality of banks of data keys thereon, engaging means for said keys adapted to hold said keys down as they are depressed, a source of light, a plate adjacent to said source forming a normally dark field, a plurality of apertures formed in said plate, pivoted shutters for said apertures individually linked to and controlled by said keys for forming patterns of illumination in said field from said source, a photo-sensitive record medium, means to support the same, said means excluding external light therefrom, means for projecting the image of said field upon said medium, and means for advancing said medium along said support, said last means including a key-control positioned adjacent to said banks of data keys.

I. In a rata recording device, in combination, a support, a plurality of banks of data keys thereon, a photo-sensitive recording medium, a platen backing up said medium, a gate defining a recording area on said medium, a feeding control key adjacent said bank, feeding means controlled by said last-mentioned key for feeding said record along said platen in steps, a normally dark field spaced apart from said medium,means for projecting the image of said field upon said medium via said gate, a plurality of apertures formed in said field and being normally closed by shutters, individual linking members between said shutters and the keys in said banks for controlling the opening of said shutters, a source of illurnin ation in said device whereby light mm' said source may shine through said apertures when said shutters are opened.

8. A data recording device according to claim '1 in which said recording medium is carried in a light tight casing which is bodily removable from and replaceable in said device.

9. A data recording device according to claim '1 in which latching means is provided for engaging and holding down all depressed keys in said banks, and in which means is provided under control of the operator for disabling said latching means and permitting all depressed keys to return to their normal positions.

10. A data recording device according to claim 'I in which locking means is provided for engaging depressed keys in said bank, disabling means is provided for disabling said locking device and releasing depressed keys, and in which a key adjacent to said bank is provided for controlling said source of illumination.

BENNE'I'I F. TERRY. 

